Ayda has a rich experience in paediatric intensive care and palliative care as a medical doctor at the University of Munich, Germany. The experiences in end-of-life care for children and adolescents brought her to practise mindfulness. After moving away from Germany, her interest in neuroscience and mindfulness led her to pursue a Masters in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy at Oxford University (Mst in MBCT). This sparked a deepening engagement with early Buddhism, Western philosophy and the wisdom traditions and their connections to science. Ayda is also a volunteer for Mind and Life Europe, an organisation that aims to bridge the wisdom of contemplative traditions and scientific inquiry.

After attending several retreats with Stephen Batchelor she participated in his workshop “Mindfulness Based Human Flourishing” in October 2022 out of which —with Stephen’s encouragement— she co-founded the international collaboration to build the MBEL (Mindfulness Based Ethical Living) curriculum.